Apparatus for hoisting anchors and mooring vessels



April 23, 1935. J. H. LUCAS APPARATUS FOR HOISTING ANCHORS AND MOORINGY VESSELS v Filed Dec. 26, 1934 ig. I

F' 115.4 INVENTOR A v C, U L n N H m S m A & B 5. k 2 M n- 1 F Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNITED STATES APPARATUS 1370-13HOISTI'NG ANCHORS' AND MQQRING VESSELS James H, Lucas, Seattle, Wash.

Application December 26, 1934, Serial No. 759,190

3 Claims.

yachts are operated by a crew of few persons,

considerable difficulty is frequently encountered, in the, raising of anchors, particularly when in deepwater with a long'heavy chain. Additional difficulty is met in warping such vessels to wharves or landings, againstadverse winds and tides.

An object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a small-and compact apparatus, with relatively few parts, and easily and cheaply constructed, whereby a heavy anchor may be easily hoisted from deep water by one individual, and whereby such vessel may be easily warped toa desired landing by one person against wind and tide. I r

A further object is to provide a compact apparatus with its machined movable parts mounted in a housing, wherein lubricating oils may be held in contact withbearings, andthe'finished parts protected from contact with salt water spray. Also to provide both manual and mechanical means for operating the gears, with means for controlling the movements of the gears, and for adjusting the position of gears in suitable alinement with others; with further means for mooring the craft.

A still further and particular object is to provide a simple apparatus, which may be easily operated, and which will provide a high degree of lifting power, for rapidly hoisting an anchor and chain from deep water.

With these and other objects as will appear in the specification, I haveillustrated my invention by the accompanying drawing, of which:

Figure 1 is a top plan, 7

Figure 2 is a section view taken on lines 2-2 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is an end elevation taken on lines 3-3 of Figure l, with parts broken away and parts removed,

Figure 4 is a detail top-plan of the eccentric plate and lower stub shaft in section.

Like numerals on the different figures represent like parts.

5 represents thefbase or bottom between the frame end plates 6 and I of the housing 8. This may be bolted or otherwise attached to the forward part of the deck 8 of a vessel.

9 represents the main shaft which is rotatably mounted through frame plates 6 and 1. Each end of the shaft protrudes slightly beyond each respective plate. Between the plates and near one thereof a circular block It is affixed to the shaft. On the inner face of this block is affixed a toothed ring, or crown gear ;i I. Driving pinions 12 and [2' are held in meshed connection with the gear, on the endsof the stub shafts l3 and [4.

Cable holding bitts t5 are affixed to and protrude angular-1y from the upper portion of the housing, and are suitably spaced apart'to provide bitt posts around and between which a mooring cable may be looped or woven in the usual man ner', forholding vessels to wharves or other moorin'g stati'on's.

The bitts are tubular and so provide supports and bearing guides for the stub shaft .13. This shaft may be moimte'd alternately in either of the 'bitts, as 'may be desired for right or left hand actuating power therefrom upon the pinion F2. The outer end of shaft [3 protrudes beyond the top of the bitts to provide means for connectingany simple turning means, as a; removable hand crank; j

, The auxiliary shaft I4 is projected perpendicularly through. the floor of the housing and may be carried down through the boat deck toany desired point for convenient operation, particularly in stormy weather, either manually by means of a crank handle IT, or by any belt inechanically driven around pulley l8.

This shaft 14 is rotatably mounted through a journal sleeve H! which is eccentrically affixed relative to the center of an adjustable plate 20. Slots 2| in the rim of this plate, for holding bolts,

permit the plate'to be turned sufficiently to change the position of the pinion teeth in the gear. The eccentric mounting provides for slight contact between such teeth, when the auxiliary shaft is not required for power, and also provides for adjustment of the pinion after wear may have created excess looseness. An ordinary thrust bearing washer l6 is'placed around shaft 9 in front of block l0.

On one end of the main shaft 9, is affixed a sheave wheel A, commonly known as a wild cat, for hoisting an anchor chain or cable; and on this wheel adjacent the end 6 is a circular ratchet shoulder 22, over which rides a pawl 23 on pivot 24. The pawl may be lifted from the ratchet to permit free turning of the wheel in either direction, but when in lowered position it prevents the wheel from turning backward when an anchor is being hoisted.

A suitable opening 25 through the base plate permits the supply of chain cable in the locker beneath, to be drawn out over the sheave wheel when the anchor is launched.

The free movement and speed of the Wheel is easily controlled by a foot brake and pedal 26, and lever 21, which latter is attached at its inner end to a pin 28, pivotally mounted through the plate 6. The inner end of the pin actuates an ordinary toggle lever 29 attached to one end of an ordinary resilient brake band 33. The other end of the band is attached to a fixed pin 3|. A brake drum Ii! or face is provided around the block In between the plate 6 and the gear I l A spring 32 normally holds the band in free position over the drum, but is easily overcome by pressure on the pedal.

On the end of the shaft 9 opposite wheel A, is afiixed a spool drum B, commonly known as a gipsy for winding a rope or mooring cable, thereon. When necessary to warp the vessel toward a wharf or against wind or tide, one end of the cable is attached to some fixed object as on the Wharf, and the other end or bight of the cable is made fast to the drum, and the latter revolved till the cable winding around the drum draws the vessel in the direction desired.

The same cable may be then detached from the drum and made fast around the bitts for retaining the vessel in such moored location.

Having described my invention, I now claim as new:

1. An apparatus for hoisting and controlling the lowering of boat anchors, comprising a housing I with a shaft revolvably mounted therethrough, a sheave Wheel for hoisting a chain mounted on one end of the shaft and a winding drum for reeling a warping cable mounted on the other end of said shaft, a ratchet wheel mounted on the sheave wheel and a pawl for controlling the movement of the shaft in one direction, a toothed ring gear fixedly mounted to the shaft in the housing for operating the same, a relatively smaller driving pinion mounted in mesh with the gear, a stub shaft revolvably mounted through the upper portion of the housing with the inner end thereof affixed in the pinion and the outer end adapted to be turned for driving the pinion and gear wheel for revolving the sheave wheel and winding drum, a pair of tubular bitts affixed to and projecting above the housing in spaced relation with each other adapted for weaving a mooring cable thereover, and the interior of the bitts adapted to provide supporting sleeves for said stub shaft projected through one of said bitts, a brake drum mounted'in the housing affixed to the ring gear, with a brake band adjustably mounted around the brake drum, and means outside the housing for tightening and releasing the band, to control the lowering of the anchor.

.2. An apparatus for hoisting anchors for ves-,

sels, comprising a housing with a shaft revolvably mounted therethrough, a sheave wheel mounted on 011831161 of the shaft for raising an anchor cable, a ring gear attached to the shaft within the housing, and a driving pinion in mesh with the gear, and aflixed to the top end of a stub shaft for driving the pinion, the stub shaft projected downward through a rotatable plate connected to the base of the housing, the journal bearing for the stub shaft eccentrically disposed through the plate relative to the center of said plate, for adjusting the position of the pinion teeth in connection with the'gear from a point below the housing, the lower end of the stub shaft designed to extend downward through the deck of the vessel and provided with means for driving the stub shaft manually and mechanically, for turning the sheave wheel and hoisting an anchor. 3. An apparatus for hoisting and lowering an anchor of a vessel and for mooring the same, comprising a housing, with a ring gear therein mount; ed on a shaft with a sheave wheel on one end thereof, a pinion gear in mesh with said ring gear, and driven by a stub shaft projected through the housing, a pair of tubular bitts projecting above said housing in spaced relation with each other and adapted for weaving thereover and between the same a mooring cable to hold, the vessel to a Wharf, the interiors of said bitts adapted'for supporting said stub shaft in revolvable connection therein for revolving said gears for hoisting an anchor chain over said sheave wheel.

JAMES H. LUCAS. 

